Romania’s anti-corruption unit is seeking to prosecute former Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu on allegations of bribe-taking.

It is the second attempt by the National Anticorruption Directorate to pursue charges against Mr. Tariceanu, 68, who was prime minister from  2004 to 2008. He denies wrongdoing.

The National Anticorruption Directorate asked President Klaus Iohannis to approve the criminal investigation on Monday through a request it sent to the general prosecutor.

As Mr Tariceanu is a former prime minister and former lawmaker, the president needs to sign off on any investigation.

Prosecutors say Mr. Tariceanu is suspected of receiving illicit benefits worth 800,000 U.S. dollars from an unnamed Austrian company from 2007-2008 when he was premier in exchange for passing legislation in favor of the company.

He says the case is politically motivated and he didn’t receive “a penny” from Microsoft which he says is the company in question.

The latest request comes after Parliament rejected a 2018 request by prosecutors in 2019 to probe the former prime minister who was a Senator at the time.

Prosecutors have higher chances prosecuting Mr. Tariceanu who failed to win a seat in Parliament.

„As a result of the administration of additional evidence, elements of novelty have emerged that have outlined the above-mentioned state of affairs with reference to the former dignitary,” reads the new request filed by DNA.

Criminal proceedings began against other suspects who were sent to trial.